Another year, another out-of-nowhere tournament run for UConn. The sixth-seeded Huskies have completely busted the AAC tournament bracket with a bunch of big upsets en route to a finals berth. To reach the tourney, though, the defending national champions will have one more challenge to overcome in the No. 1 seed SMU Mustangs, who will be eager to avenge their loss to UConn earlier this month.
SMU was left in the cold during last year’s Selection Sunday. Will the Mustangs leave no doubt of their inclusion in the Big Dance this time around? Read on as we preview this championship matchup.
Don’t be left without a bracket come Selection Sunday. Click here for our printable March Madness bracket. And for more championship previews, check out our breakdown of Arkansas vs. Kentucky over in the SEC and VCU vs. Dayton in the A-10.
[sc:MarchMadness ]Connecticut Huskies vs. SMU Mustangs Betting Preview
Where: XL Center, Hartford
When: Sunday, March 15, 3:15 PM ET
Line: Connecticut (+2.5) vs. SMU (-2.5) – view all NCAA Basketball lines
Betting on the Connecticut Huskies
There’s something about March that brings the best out of UConn. The Huskies, who went on an improbable run to win last year’s NCAA tournament as a seven seed, were a disappointing 17-13 (10-8 in the AAC) at the end of the regular season. But the defending champs have stormed through the conference tournament with three consecutive wins to put themselves on the cusp on an automatic tournament berth. UConn also covered all three games.
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]The explosive backcourt duo of senior Ryan Boatright and sophomore Rodney Purvis has been amazing throughout the Huskies’ surprise run. The two have averaged 30 points between them in the past three games, including 35 and 32 points, respectively, in their upset wins over higher seeded Cincinnati (57-53) and Tulsa (47-42).
Purvis and Boatright were even more impressive in UConn’s big 81-73 upset over SMU at home on March 1. Purvis exploded for a career-high 28 points, while Boatright added 23. The two shot a very efficient 15-of-27 from the field and 7-of-14 from three. Don’t discount another offensive explosion from the two with a home-state crowd cheering them on in nearby Hartford.
But the X-factor for the Huskies will be freshman Daniel Hamilton. Hamilton had 16 points in the win against SMU and 20 in the first round against South Florida, but he’s shot a total of just 10-of-50 (20 percent) in four of the team’s last six games.
Create a betting account now and watch out for the game-changing X-factors during March Madness.
Betting on the SMU Mustangs
After a closer than expected six-point quarterfinal win against East Carolina, SMU played much more convincingly to take care of Temple, 69-56, in the semifinals. Leading scorer Nic Moore struggled with his shot, going just 3-of-14 for seven points, but sixth man Markus Kennedy delivered with a team-high 17 points off the bench.
Kennedy has been the man for the Mustangs in March. The junior is averaging 16.5 points in four games this month, including 17 in the loss to UConn. The Mustangs, though, have been a very balanced and efficient offense (top 20 in the nation in assists and field goal percentage) for much of the season.
They displayed this terrific balance in their 73-55 home win over UConn on Valentine’s Day. Five players scored over nine points in that game, including three with 13.
But the bigger part of the SMU’s success this season has been its stifling defense, which surrenders just 60.1 points per game (28th in the nation) and 38 percent field goal shooting (13th). That same defense limited UConn to 34 percent shooting and held Purvis to four points. Their defense had a nice warm-up for UConn by holding Temple to 29 percent from the field and 17 percent from three.
SMU is just 1-3 against the spread in its last four games.
Writer’s Prediction
SMU seals its place in the tournament as the Mustangs win and cover (-2.5) against the champs.
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